


Flowers over Dumplings

by Moon_Blitz



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, ToT: Chocolate Box
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-27 20:17:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8415208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Blitz/pseuds/Moon_Blitz
Summary: Spring is a time for many things, including surprise shopping trips.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [commovente](https://archiveofourown.org/users/commovente/gifts).



Flowers over Dumplings

“Akimaru, let’s play catch to warm up!”

Akimaru opened his mouth to reply, but Haruna was already out the club room door. Sighing to himself, he grabbed his catcher’s mask and followed his friend. He passed a few of the other players on the way to the field, most of them still looking half-asleep. He smiled to himself, knowing that they would wake up during practice.

Setting his equipment in the dugout, he jogged out to where Haruna stood in the outfield, impatiently tossing a ball up and down. He smirked and got into a throwing stance as Akimaru approached, lobbing the ball at him a moment later. Catching it easily, Akimaru threw it back, and they fell into the familiar rhythm of playing catch. They had been doing this for so long, neither of them had to really focus on the task, and by now Akimaru was just happy he was able to still do this with Haruna.

“Hey, practice is starting!” Akimaru looked towards the infield at Kaguyama’s shout, seeing that the other players were starting to gather around him. Raising his glove in acknowledgement, he tossed the ball back to Haruna.

“You free after evening practice?” Haruna asked, trotting up to him, glove tucked under his arm.

“Yeah, of course. Why?”

His friend grinned mischievously. “Heh, you’ll see.” Akimaru shook his head at that, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to get another word out of him about it for the rest of the day.

\- - -

“Have a safe trip home!” Akimaru waved goodbye to Kaguyama as the third-year got on his bike. He took a deep breath and looked up at the late afternoon sky. The summer tournament was coming up, and he would support Haruna through all of it. Would they make it all the way to Koushien? It was a big dream of Haruna’s, and he knew many of the other players wanted to make it there. He didn’t particularly care if he made it there himself, but the idea of standing on that field with Haruna made him smile.

“What’s so funny?” Haruna demanded, jerking him out of his thoughts.

“Eh? Oh nothing. Just thinking about the future. Our future, that is.” Glancing around to make sure no one was around, he caught hold of Haruna’s hand and squeezed it. “Ready to go?”

“Yep. The club room is nice and tidy and all locked up.” Haruna squeezed back in return, then tugged him towards the bike rack. “Let’s go shopping, then go grab supper.”

“Shopping...?” Akimaru looked at him curiously. “Do you need new cleat laces or something?” He couldn’t imagine what the pitcher would need to pick up on his way home aside from sport supplies, and he hadn’t noticed anything Haruna needed urgently.

“Something like that.” He rolled his eyes at Haruna’s evasiveness and unlocked his bike. Secret shopping it was, then.

The trip to the shopping distract was uneventful, and Akimaru couldn’t help but wonder what Haruna was planning as they parked their bikes. The pitcher was his usual carefree self off the field, and he whistled a low tune as they strolled down the sidewalk.

“What do you want to eat?”

“Hm...ramen, maybe? Although bamboo rice would be more fitting, since it’s still spring.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. Summer’s almost head, and ramen tastes great!” Haruna grinned and folded his arms behind his head. “I heard a new shop opened up the next street over, wanna try it?”

“Sure.” Akimaru nodded, then nudged his friend. “But you said shopping would be first.”

“Yeah, yeah...” Haruna huffed at him, but his frown quickly faded. “Fine, shopping then food.” Akimaru followed quietly as he led them down a side street to a small park. “Wait here for a minute.”

“Um, okay.” More confused than ever, he settled onto a bench as Haruna dashed off. It clearly wasn’t a sports-related purchase he was making, so that meant it must be personal. “It better not be another magazine...” Haruna had quite the collection of adult magazines, although he suspected the more poorly-hidden ones were for his family’s benefit than anything else. Not that Haruna’s parents seemed bothered by it, from what Haruna had told him.

To his great relief, Haruna arrived back in the park magazine-less. The rather large bundle he was carrying took Akimaru by surprise, though, and he eyed it warily as the pitcher walked over.

“Here ya go!” Haruna held it out with a grin, looking pleased with himself.

“For me?” Akimaru asked softly, taking the package carefully. It was lighter than he had expected, but he still handled it with care as he balanced it between his knees. Plastic crinkled as he pulled at the packaging, and he gasped in surprise as he pulled the paper wrapping open to see a cluster of daisies. Further unwrapping revealed that it was a small pot of daisies surrounded by a plastic protector. “Haruna...” Akimaru looked up at him then, seeing the joy he felt reflected on his friend’s face. “Thank you so much!” They had given each other small gifts before, but never something like this.

Haruna just chuckled and shoved his hands into his pockets. Akimaru beamed at him for a few moments, not able to find the words to properly express what he was feeling. He then carefully partially wrapped the potted daisies up again and rose, cradling them in his arms. “I...I guess we should go eat.”

Haruna rocked back on his heels and nodded. “Yeah. It’s been a long time since the rice balls we had during practice. Let’s get going.”

Akimaru smiled as he fell into step with Haruna, glancing back down at the bright flowers. Haruna’s birthday was in a few weeks, so he would have to do something extra-special in thanks.

 

**Author's Note:**

> The title is a reversal of the Japanese phrase "dumplings rather than flowers", which means that the practical is preferred over the aesthetic, and is used as an example of how fickle humans can be.


End file.
